• Therapeutic Riding serves ages 4 years and older.
• Therapy Services serves ages 2 years and older.
• Changing Leads serves ages 5 to 21 years old.
• Riding in the Moment serves seniors facing the challenges of aging, memory loss, and cognitive impairments.
• Hearts & Horses for Heroes serves Veterans and active duty members of all ages.

Once all completed forms are returned to Hearts & Horses, the participant may be asked to schedule a riding evaluation. This evaluation is conducted to help the instructor determine the best horse, tack, and volunteers for the participant. Prior to and during the evaluation, we will ensure that our program is appropriate for you and that there are no contraindications to your participation in mounted equestrian activities.

All participants are required to wear an ASTM/SEI approved Equestrian helmet when on horses. If you don’t have your own helmet, Hearts & Horses will provide you with one. Should you choose to purchase your own, we can recommend several tack shops in our area. Appropriate clothes for riding are long pants and hard soled boots with a low heel. Since we use safety stirrups on all of the saddles, sneakers are permissible. Dress for comfort and according to the weather. Wear close-fitting clothing for safety as well as comfort. Loose or baggy clothing can get caught and tangled in equipment. No dangling jewelry is permitted.

Regular attendance is important! Participating at Hearts & Horses is a commitment, so it should be made a priority.

Participants are expected to call as soon as possible (24 hours is ideal) if they cannot make their scheduled time, so that we do not have horses, volunteers and instructors waiting for you. Two “no call/no shows” in a session may result in your being asked to forfeit your spot to someone on the waiting list. Please plan on arriving a few minutes early for your class. We will make every effort to accommodate each rider, however, late arrivals may result in not being able to ride that day. A rider that arrives 15 minutes or more after the start of their class will not be allowed to ride.

Our program has an excellent safety record. Please observe these safety rules:

• Children must be supervised at all times; please do not leave children unattended or allow them to run and play loudly.
• Dogs and smoking are not allowed on Hearts & Horses property. Service dogs are allowed with prior Executive Staff permission only.
• Do not visit the horses and barns without permission and supervision.
• Please observe quietly; your family members and friends are always encouraged to visit. When lessons are in progress or horses are out, guests are required to remain in the appropriate spectator area.
• Our horses and volunteers should be treated kindly – they work so hard for all of us.
• Please drive slowly and park in designated areas.
• Please leave any weapons at home.
• No drugs or alcohol are allowed on Hearts & Horses property.

Due to safety considerations for staff, participants and volunteers, we may not be able to accept a participant into a riding program who weighs over 200 pounds. However, we do offer an unmounted groundwork program, which is a great way for participants to work on patience, communication, consistency, and awareness of self and the horse.

We are grateful to have an indoor arena, which allows us to hold classes in most weather conditions. However, if any conditions arise that may create unsafe circumstances in which to hold class, classes may be cancelled. The safety of our participants, volunteers and equines is of utmost importance!

Refunds or credits are not issued for classes that are cancelled for circumstances beyond Hearts & Horses control.

Classes may be cancelled due to the following:

• Larimer County is on accident alert status or weather conditions have the potential to deteriorate significantly by the end of class time
• Extreme winds, heat (above 95°F) or cold (below 20°F)

Hearts & Horses strives to provide the safest possible conditions for participants, volunteers and employees. The acceptance and continued participation of a participant in our program depends on the availability of instructors, volunteers and suitable horses and is based on our determination that we can safely accommodate the participant. Hearts & Horses adheres to precautions and contraindications for participants established by PATH Intl. Hearts & Horses retains the right to refuse any participant that we cannot safely accommodate. Participants must inform us of changes in health status.